President Aquino mourns loss of 'good friend'
Don Emilio Yap
President Benigno S. Aquino III expressed his
condolences to the family of Don Emilio Yap, a respected industrialist,
publisher, and philanthropist, who passed away on Monday.
“I convey my deepest sympathies to the Yap
family in this time of loss and mourning, and hope that they can draw strength
from the knowledge that Mr. Yap lives on in the legacy he leaves behind, one
distinguished both by personal success and by an abiding generosity,” President
Aquino said in a statement.
He said Mr. Yap will long be remembered for his
achievements in many areas of economic activity vital to the well-being of our
nation—ranging from banking, to hotels and restaurants, to shipping, to
publishing, and even to education.
Among the companies owned by the 88-year old Chinese-Filipino
businessman were Philtrust Bank, Manila Bulletin Publishing Corporation, Manila
Hotel, Centro Escolar University, Philippine President Lines, Inc., and the US
Automotive Co., Inc.
President Aquino said Mr. Yap “always upheld the
deepest optimism and confidence in the abilities of the Filipino and in the
success of the country," which made him “a true exponent of Philippine
progress”.
“On a personal note, I will always remember him
as a good friend, not only of my mother, but of the entire family as well. We
will always treasure the memories we shared with him.
In all his activities, his self-effacing nature,
kindly disposition, and concern for his employees and staff earned him
widespread respect and the affection of many.
Today, I join all those whose lives he has
touched in prayer for the eternal repose of his soul and for the comfort and
consolation of his bereaved family,” the President stated. PND (hdc)
President Aquino receives credentials of six
ambassadors-designate
President Benigno S. Aquino III received the
credentials of six ambassadors-designate in a formal ceremony in Malacanang
Palace on Tuesday.
The six ambassadors-designate are Lalduthlana
Ralte of India, Munther Mahfood Al-Mantheri of Oman, Esra Cancorur of Turkey,
Zhao Jianhua of China, Johny Lumintang of Indonesia, and Thomas Ossowski of
Germany
An ambassador-designate is an official who has
been named as ambassador but has yet to take an oath of office.
Arrival honors were given to all the ambassadors,
who were then ushered to the Reception Hall for the signing of the Malacañang
guest book.
Joined by their families and some officials of
their respective countries, the ambassadors then presented their credentials to
President Aquino at the Music Room.
President Aquino warmly greeted the ambassadors
and their guests. They also took a photo opportunity with the President.
The Chief Executive met with all the envoys at
the adjacent Study Room. Each meeting lasted about 20 minutes. PND (jb)
President Aquino, Chinese ambassador agree to
put aside territorial row
President Benigno S. Aquino III had a cordial
meeting with Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Zhao Jianhua and they agreed
to work together despite their countries’ differences in the West Philippine
Sea (South China Sea) issue, the Palace said.
The new Chinese envoy presented his credentials
to President Aquino in Malacanang on Tuesday.
Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte
said during a press briefing that the President met with the Chinese ambassador
for 15 minutes, describing the meeting as “very cordial”.
The President and Ambassador Jianhua agreed that
the maritime dispute in the West Philippine Sea is not the totality of
Philippine-Chinese relations, with both sides reaffirming their commitment to
move forward with the other facets of their relationships.
These relations include trade, tourism, and
transnational crimes, Valte said.
“The President also extended our thanks to the
Chinese side for their support for the “Yolanda” victims and extended an
invitation for China to attend the World Economic Forum in May,” she said.
Valte said that even with Ambassador Jianhua’s
predecessor Ambassador Ma Keqing, the Philippines has always agreed that the
relationship with China is multifaceted and that the dispute in the West
Philippine Sea is just a part of that relationship.
The Palace sees no reason why other segments of
the Philippine-Chinese relations would be compromised because of disagreements
in the West Philippine Sea, she said.
“We’re hoping that it will continue to move
forward, which the President also expressed this morning,” Valte added. PND
(as)
Palace welcomes U.S. Defense Secretary’s
statement on Philippines’ territorial row with China
The Palace said Tuesday it welcomes the recent
statement of US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel asking China not to redraw its
borders.
“We’ve always welcomed statements of support,
especially for the position that we’ve taken,” Deputy Presidential Spokesperson
Abigail Valte said in a press briefing in Malacanang.
Hagel is on a three-nation Asian tour. He has visited
Japan and is in China. His last stop is Mongolia.
Valte said it has always been the position of
the administration to settle border or maritime disputes within the ambit of
international law.
“From what I gathered from Secretary Hagel’s
statement, he was saying as much, that these movements cannot be unilateral and
that they must be settled according to the code that countries subscribe to,”
Valte said.
With regards to China’s claims on the
Scarborough Shoal, the government position is not to respond to provocative
acts, she said, adding that this however does not mean that the Philippines has
ceased to exercise its sovereign rights over the said shoal.
The Scarborough Shoal is part of the memorial
submitted by the Philippine government to the arbitral tribunal, Valte said.
She noted that the government is not confining
itself to international arbitration in searching for ways to resolve the
dispute with China over the West Philippine Sea.
The government is exploring other avenues, one
of which is to bring the issue to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN), according to Valte.
“From the last ASEAN, the member-countries are
moving on the Code of Conduct. From what I understand, that is slated for
discussion this year,” she said.
The ASEAN and China in 2002 agreed on the
Declaration of the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea. The Philippines
is pushing for an official and binding Code of Conduct that would further
promote peace and stability in the region.
ASEAN leaders last met in October 2013 in Brunei
Darussalam. PND (as)
Palace welcomes Czech envoy’s willingness to
face congressional inquiry
Malacanang said Tuesday it welcomes Czech
Ambassador Josef Rychtar’s willingness to face a congressional inquiry to shed
light on the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) extortion controversy.
“That’s a good development because I understand
from Secretary (Joseph Emilio) Abaya, when DOTC was conducting its own internal
investigation on the matter, they did not have the benefit of having a formal
statement from Ambassador Rychtar.” Presidential Deputy Spokesperson Abigail
Valte said during a press briefing.
Rychtar has accused MRT general manager Al
Vitangcol of attempting to extort US$30 million from Czech train coach builder
Inekon Group in July 2012.
The envoy said Vitangcol and Wilson de Vera had
asked Inekon to pay the amount to win the contract for 48 coaches for the MRT,
according to a Philippine Daily Inquirer report.
The same report said Ambassador Rychtar was
willing to waive his diplomatic immunity to face Vitangcol in court.
Under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic
Relations, all diplomats are given safe passage and protection from any lawsuit
in their host country. PND (ag)
